What was the first vehicle you attempted to drive?..lol

AXLE

my 1st wheels was a 1964 EH wagon.
column shift
191 red motor
and some fun times in it,cheers.

Axle,

My first car I drove was a Ford Prefect, the one with the angled rear window, or was it a Ford Anglia.

First car was a brand new Renault R10 in 1968 and cost $2062 registered on the road.

Cheers,

Cruiser

Mine was a green 1952 vanguard beatle back with chrome fuel cap lockable and with matching green spats....Image Could Not Be Found without spats and......with the spats

Image Could Not Be Found



Hhahahahahahaha...An old fergy motor that was unbreakable...My Grandfather bought in England and shipped it out on the Orchades,

Image Could Not Be Found my Dad bought it off him and I bought it from my Dad for 60 quid in about 1964-5....


Grrr!!!

G'day Axel,
71 XY Fairmont station wagon, 250, Auto
First manual was a 71 Toyota Crown, with the semi auto 4 speed. Wasn't that different to drive?

1st car I drove was a 1959 Ford Prefect (Prefect had 4 doors Anglia has 2 doors)
1st Car I owned was a Hillman Minx 4 speed column shift... Put a rod through the side of the block... that was before i learnt about OIL !!!

Hi Axle,

Mine was a 53' model Dodge Fargo 1/2 ton truck, Dad had it as a meat delivery wagon for his butcher shops.

It was about the size of todays 3 tonners!

Mighty side valve 6, 3 on the tree, 6volt electrics and all.

Foot pedal to activate the starter motor.

Made in Canada and converted to right hand drive in Australia.

Pretty much theft proof as Dad and I were the only buggers that could start it!

I was telling my daughters about it one day when they asked what I learnt to drive in. The oldest uttered the immortal words, "why would anyone make a car like that?"

She thinks her mothers V6 Camry is archaic, bloody hell that girl has a lot to learn!

Geoff

Mine was a 1952 FIAT 1400 - had to look up the specs:

* 1.4 ltr engine, 44 hp (33 kW) with 4400 rpm. [1]
* It had a maximum speed of 120 km/h (75 mph).
* Unloaded weight of 1120 kg (2469 lb).
* Hand brake handle under instrument panel,
* Retaining loops for front seat passengers at the roof and at the backrests,
* Armrests in the doors

I know it did a lot better than 75mph as I managed to wind it up to 100mph on Mona vale Rd one night!! As I recall it had no synchro on first and great suspension.

BruceV

Hi Axle,

Dad's Austin A30, British Racing Green 1957 model. Eventually talked the ol' boy into giving it to me as my first car. Can't remember how many times I rebuilt the motor after trying to keep up with all my mates in their FJ's though!

Still remember those 'sticking out' indicators that used to pop out of the centre side pillars.

Cheers
Gerry

Massey Ferguson 28 tractor ;-)

First car was Dad's Morris 1100.

Hi All

Axle's question was (*What was the first vehicle you attempted to drive lol *) I was 9 years old and decided to wash my Dads pride and joy, it was an Austin A70, he was at work, the car was in the garage and I had seen him reverse out of the garage plenty of times, so I got the keys out of the kitchen where he use to leave them, I got in the car, started it up, found reverse gear, left the drivers side door open a bit to see where I was going, and proceded to move the car, next thing I heard was Metal grinding on the fibro wall of the garage, and then bang I hit the garage door corner stud, I took that out and kept on going into the yard, I stalled the car in gear, I stopped and jumped out, WELL I WAS IN THE SHYTE, I not only wrecked the garage wall but also bent up the car door, the worse thing was, my dad had just had the car resprayed two months earlier,
when my mother came home from the shops, she saw the damage and screamed at me, YOUR FATHERS GOING TO GIVE YOU A HIDING WHEN HE GETS HOME,so here I am sitting on the front steps waiting for him to come home, riding his Push Bike,because he didn't want to get his pride and joy damaged at work. lol lol.

Cheers
Daza

Morris 1100 S......with a 1275 motor.......

My first was a 36 Chev four door sedan that my Uncle sold me. It had a 3 speed crash box with a floor change but most of the time it would go anywhere in third gear so you didn't have to change gear much. The worst thing were the backward opening(suicide) rear doors. My little brother opened one at about 30mph once and it flew back and crunched the rear guard. Bob.

Dads 1960 FB ute, had a red motor in it but grey box and diff. the three on the tree was the biggest challenge,bit hard trying to push the clutch pedal down and push the lever up when i could barely see over the wheel!!!

My first atempt was in an old Dodge ute of some sort.collum shift...i got in the front...tutor in the back{older brother}
'PUSH THE CLUTCH IN' HE SAID..PUT IT IN FIRST...GRIND GRIND
NOW LET THE CLUTCH OUT!!!!
I did and when i looked back he was hanging off the clothes line
that he was leaning on.....
I went around the block four times with the biggest grin on my face, and all i could hear was my brother yelling..'
'Put ya foot on the brake ya f^&*ing d^*khead'!!!!
Long time ago.......
ps. good post...

I was reading through these and my first drive was in a modern FJ55 around the Cherry orchads in Young - NSW. Now I let my young fella (10 year old) have a bit of a spin in the 100 seriers turbo diesel on Straddie. Auto, Power steering, Air Conditioning, Constant 4WD, All the fancy bits and pieces.....he dosen't know what he has really missed. Crash Boxes, Colum Shift, Clutch pedals you could hardly push to the floor....He would not believe me if I told him.

Ford Prefect "Sports Saloon ".

Mine was a LHD Willy's Jeep in the late 50's

I am not as old as this will make me sound, but my parents first car was a 1928 Whippet, crank handle start and then under the bonnet to change the mix of petrol and kero after it started. I had my first few drives of it when I was about 12. Couldn't believe the improvement a few years later when they moved up to a 36 Dodge, then a 56 Zephyr both of which I did a fair bit of driving in before I reached the legal age. Advantage of living in the bush
My first car was a 47 FX Holden.
KenD
Bris

Gday
My first drive was a 1948Ford Prefect, my first car was a 1939 Standard with cable brakes.
Murray

Hmmm, this is going to reveal my vintage.

First drive: My Dad's 1938 Standard Flying 8 tourer. (Learning for my driver's licence on my 16th birthday)

First car owned: 1927 Austin 7 tourer. Ah, what youthful adventures in that!)

Neither bought from new of course!

Allan

Morris Minor. My dad, who's 85, has still got it!

Learned to drive at age 10 in Austin A40 ute.
My first car was a new Monaro GTS HT purchased in Jan 1970 for $3198 on the road and insured !Saved my wages for a year and a half to buy it. Wish I still had it.

My first "drive" was in a mates 26(circa) Whippet buckboard.
Wasn't terribly successful! Probably about 12 years old.

Mine was a 1958 Ford Zephyr Ute Mk. 2. My old man bought off the Vic. Govt. second hand, he owned it for about four years and when he went to work in PNG, sold it to me for 80 quid.

It lasted for two and a bit years. Good motor, rotten gearbox and suspension and you could hear the rust. Though I drove it to Townsville up the Crystal Highway and came back down through the inland, it was a heap.

There is a sedan version of one of these still on the road in Broken Hill.

Seeya Dick

Gidday Axle

Can’t rightly remember the correct order now, but it was one of the following three:

1937 Nash
1954 Vanguard
1924? Essex truck

It’s interesting how people perceive thing nowadays. The current hairy chest fellas carry on about new technology and say cars can’t be fixed in the bush. Let me give another view on what it was like back in the 50’s.

As a young fella there were only a few times we cranked the car up, went somewhere and arrived back home without incident. The pommy cars were the worst, but the yank vehicles gave us some curry also.

Back in those days, carburettor and electrical problems were generally the main source of problems. If I had a dollar today for every mile we had to walk to either get home, or get a bit of help I’d be a rich man today.

In retrospect which would I prefer? Give me new reliable modern technology anytime.

Regards

Kim

Oi Axle!!

Here I am trying to type one handed as I had a minor operation to a hand today :-)

First drive 1949 Chrysler in 1951 aged 8

First car 1958 Anglia 100E in 1964


103 cars later.........................................................


Cheers

Well Hi Axle, I have had the best read that I've had in a long while. Good thread.

My first drive was a '37 model chev, black 4 door, stick on the floor. I was 6 yrs old and was 'helping' Dad seeding, he had finished the paddock and had to move machinery, truck and car to a paddock a few miles away so he asked me if I thought I could drive the car behind the tractor and combine, well of course I can Dad,I've watch you do it all the time, Dad cranks up the motor with crank handle tells me to wait until he takes off and follow, Ah yes I remember it well, follow I tried, put the clutch in, obeyed Dad by not putting too much pressure on the excelerator but because I was looking through the steering wheel I didn't see the stone jump up in front of the wheel, no herbs I stalled, Dad came back and cranked her up again and told me to go a little harder than I had, he took off and so did I and haven't stopped since.

That old chevvy was a fantastic car, it was as solid as a rock, the roos and emus that we hit with that and not a dent. wish we still had it.

Cheers

Deanna

First solo drive was a tractor on a relatives property at about age 8.

Learnt to drive in Dad's AP Valiant station wagon at age 12.

First car was my grandmothers Austin Lancer (free), followed by a 1725cc Hillman Minx($850).

Current cars are TD5 Disco (bush), and Porsche Carrera 4 Cabriolet (work).

Bob

An FC holden in maroon and white. I had to sit up straight to see over the dash and on the edge of the seat to reach the peddles.

My first drive was a very old Ford pick up on my uncles farm in 1972 aged 8, the next was a 80 cc motor bike in 1975, and in 1976 was my first drive in a 4WD, Dads 1974 L/Cruiser short wheel base.

Since then I have had 37 cars/ 4wds ,8 motor bikes including the 3 bikes and 3 cruisers in the front yard and the 2 OKA's.

My 6.5 year old got his first motor bike for Xmas.

Cheers Steve.

What a lot of history we have put together.

My first drive was the old man's '52 Ford consul at 16.
First car of many owned and driven--1927 Austin 7 with the ass-about gearbox and no brakes to speak of. Interesting diff setup in them too, if you were not careful when reassembling it you could finish up with 3 reverse and 1 forward. (the diff assy could go in either way).

I reckon on having driven at least 1 vehicle from every decade and every major maker since then (1920's) except the current one (2000-2010).My current drivers are '99 Disco TD5 and '81 L/Rover Series 3 trayback.

Disco.

An almost new 1955 Ford Popular panel van delivering meat around the narrow, undulating roads of SW Wales which were either bounded by 2 metre high stone and earth walls or totally unfenced and open to meandering livestock and wild ponies.
1172cc side valve motor, 3 speed gearbox with synchro on 2nd and top gears only. Cross ply tyres of dubious adhesion and brakes that overheated and faded unless treated with the utmost respect.
Not 'popular' with my vegetarian girlfriend 8-D: It always smelt of uncooked meat.
It smelt better than the fish sellers van though!
I got my driving licence at my first attempt a couple of years later ;)

My first 'drive' was in my grandfather's FJ Holden ute on his farm.Used to nick it occasionally and go tanking around the property till it ran out of juice.

It was registered, and when I got my licence he showed up unannounced at home one day and threw me the keys!!!!!!!
Wish I still had it, now I could afford to restore it.

Also used his BSA 500 thumper that lived in the barn for burning around the paddocks when I got bored of the car.Nearly broke my leg first time I tried to start it.

I was 14 when this hooliganism started.

Axle, First car I drove was about late 60's early 70's VW Beach buggy. It was an island car and literally had to have the doors tied to the roof to keep them closed as the door pillars were so full of rust and not able to hold the door in it's proper place.

BUT!!! I learnt to drive in my XU1 look alike LJ Torana. Man that thing used to hum and stick like glue into a corner. How I am still here I do not know hehehe.

Regards, Trevor.

First drive - old LandRover LWB Series 1 (or 2) I was about 10 and had to drive it because Dad might have got too hissed when we were fishing the gutters up to Double Island Point and couldn't bear the thought of his precious baby (the landrover) getting caught in the change of tide if he was passed out!
He used to drink those long white cans of Carlton and they'd have a 'blessing' of each gutter, each fish, eash mate, anything! Dad even put swinging gimbals (gimbels?) on each side of the dash so he wouldn't spill the can. When I wasn't driving (which was as much as I could) I was sitting on the bonnet on the bl...y uncomfortable spare wheel being the spotter. He only ever stopped suddenly and rolled me off into the water a few times - my fault, he said, he told me to hang on (he liked to drop me in the 'bubbler' if he could.)
First car - Morris 1100 (went anywhere and everywhere in Queensland, youngest driver was whichever kid I was governess for could see through the wheel whilst we pushed it through the sandy creek crossings (around Quilpie/Eromanga) and next car
(brother pushed the rod through the side of that one when he flogged it one time - he didn't know about oil either)- next car was a British racing green XU1 - probably worst suspension on any car I have ever ridden in. My Dad took that car out of the garage every day to go to the post office - never took his own.
I fixed the suspension and it was better but the cops liked fining me for speeding in it - even when I wasn't.
Went on honeymoon in grey 64 EH ute - then upgraded to a 65 Wagon - then VW Passat wagon (loved that car) - then Toyota Camry wagon (loved it even more) - LC60 series - got married again but Toyota 80's ute this time - LC100 series (still got it) and the V8 Toy ute and I'm still fishing (going tomorrow actually) - got a big mob of yabbies for bait (ate 50 of them last night for supper).
Nice memories - haven't had a post like this for a couple of years.
TFTM.

My first drive was in my dad's 1951 Vauxhall when I was around 10, as a family we would go to the Flinders Ranges and he would let me drive on the tracks. We didn't know then that they were 4WD tracks and you needed a big lift and double diff locks (LOL). And yes I did bog it occasionally. This is where I learnt all about reading tracks and throttle control. I got my own boys driving as soon as they could reach the pedals too.

My first drive was Dad's old 'A' model Ford Truck on our farm at Caliph in the SA Mallee, I remember driving old Dodge and Chev Buckboards out rabbit trapping. Remember driving Dad's Fordson 'Power Major' and Nuffield tractors ploughing, and his A40 and FJ utes.
My first car was a Mark 1 Consul.
First 4WD was a Toyota Landcruiser at Glenstrae Station in '69.

Great thread.

Dennis

Look what you started now Axle.....my first drive was a 1975 g60 3 speed floor shift...woohoo...dad smuggled me into it (county council truck) and we did some 4wding whilst supposedly clearing under the power lines. He has alot to answer for my dad :)
I later had an EH as a first car, with a 192...(186 bored 060 thou) but a 179 HP block was supposedly a better platform for one due to better iron in the block.
Andrew

Looks like I am equal oldest with a 36 Studebaker Commander.

When I was about 10 AFAIR my dad asked me to drive it into the garage , which was under our queenslander in Brissy with a dunny at the end, and about a 3 foot rise up from the front yard.

I overcooked a bit up the ramp and moved the dunny wall about a foot.

He also used to get me to sit on the mudguard and pour petrol into the carby as he ran it down the hill next to the house to start it.

Regards Philip A

I'm reminded by my father that it was a late 50's chev with some kind of extensions on the pedals organised by the boys on the neighbouring cattle station (Willowra) about six at the time.
Vaguely remember running into some thing!
Cheers Paul

Dad's 1954 Zephyr Six. I used to sit in it in the garage and make engine noises while changing gear. I think I was 9 at the time.
During 2nd year at high school I convinced my mate I could drive and drove his Standard 10 through the side wall of his dad's shed.
Oops.
His dad never did say anything for the whole trip he drove me home!

mine was a 1961 dauphine gordini very light and very fast at this time LOL

first attempt to drive solo was in a 50's something mercedes benz 130D 1/2 ton ute that the old man bought in kings x one night after the wool sales.
i didnt understand the concept of glow plugs as an 8yo but finally got it started before flattening the battery.
dad quickly moved me to the series 1 land rover which was great as i could stand up and steer while looking thru the open air vents under the windscreen.i was also restricted to low range.
first car owned was a 56 morris minor known as "mandy" as she was painted orange.
cheers
howard

Hi Axle,

My first car I drove was a 1955 Super Standard 10. Had great compression for a 4 cylinder which really only ran of about 2. From memory it had a 4 speed manual great acceleration - not. But overall was great fun. Had a good dose of rust and my mate put his feet through the floor arlar Fred Flintstone and was a talking point. It was also good for Petrol starvation as the fuel line went over the rocket cover and vaporize on long trips thus causing you to kangaroo jump down the road. Still here though to tell the tale. It was a lot of fun to drive.